Page 107 - Ecuador's Banana Sector under Climate Change

chapter 4: assessment of climate change impact on banana production and suitability in ecuador, and general assessment of global banana trends under climate change scenarios
such as 1983 and 1998, would seriously challenge the stability of the banana sector.
2.6.4 Approaches for addressing climate change and weather variability
This potential for increased variability, in addition to the projected increase in average temperatures, should become a call for action for scientists, growers and value chain stakeholders. Such a response should be organized around a socio- ecological framework with at least six potential areas of response (example for each level):
• plant genetics (banana cultivar selection);
• plant population (banana mat density and management);
• field agro-ecosystem (soil organic matter, living cover crops);
• farm agro-ecosystem (diversification, drainage, irrigation, field edge
vegetation);
• local (multifarm) watershed (drainage, irrigation, riverbank vegetation); and
• regional watershed (protection of steep upper watersheds, flood plain
management).
For each level, different stakeholders and social capital are needed for developing and putting into practice effective management strategies. In the
face of variability, a static approach will have a high frequency of mismatch with the conditions for successive periods. Instead, a resilience- and learning-based approach can be proposed for a complex adaptive system. In such an approach, a combination of tactics is needed to ensure that key functions of the system continue to operate, even though the structure may change. These tactics include the following:
• Increasing system resistance: Practices and policies in production and marketing which offset the direct effects of variability. Examples are more effective irrigation to ensure optimum growing conditions or dikes to protect flood plains.
• Increasing system buffer functions: Practices and policies which reduce shock effects of variability without directly changing conditions. Examples include banana cultivars selected for high performance under a wider range
of temperatures and flood management through sacrifice areas and increased passage rate for water to reduce time of saturated soils. This may also include cooperative marketing to ensure that contracts are fulfilled.
• Increasing recovery speed and options: Practices and policies which accelerate the recovery of functions quickly and economically after extreme events. Examples include banana mat and field management to promote quick and high-quality sucker regrowth, disaster insurance and disaster recovery funds.
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